Men of Yore: John Snow

This is the second in a series of posts about men from history who have either achieved great things in one form or another by pushing boundaries: either in themselves or in society or science or exploration of some form.  Boundary pushing and growth is what men do, it's their nature: to grow and push outwards.  We, as men, are the frontiersmen/the vanguard, the first to discover/uncover new territory, in a metaphysical sense (i.e. including both material and the immaterial) that is later colonised and 'civilised' by the rest of humanity. 

It is also partly intended to show images, be they paintings, statues or photographs of the countenaces of men of yore.  Because, quite frankly, many men wear the countenances of women these days: smiling, smirking, cooing, rolling their eyes, looking smug etc.  It's a sign of the times, and by showing some images of men from the past, I hope to show some modern men why looking surly, frowning and giving hard-ball stares at people is something to do, something to practice.

Dr John Snow, 1856 (aged 43)

John Snow (15 March 1813 – 16 June 1858) was an English physician and a leader in the adoption of anaesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered to be one of the fathers of modern epidemiology, because of his work in tracing the source of a cholera outbreak in Soho, England, in 1854.

Snow was born 15 March 1813 in York, England. He was the first of nine children born to William and Frances Snow in their North Street home. His neighbourhood was one of the poorest in the city and was always in danger of flooding because of its low proximity to the River Ouse. His father worked in the local coal yards, which were constantly replenished from the Yorkshire coalfields through the barges on the Ouse. Snow was baptised at the Anglican church of All Saints, North Street.
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Snow was a sceptic of the then dominant miasma theory that stated that diseases such as cholera or the Black Death were caused by pollution or a noxious form of "bad air". The germ theory of disease had not yet been developed, so Snow did not understand the mechanism by which the disease was transmitted. His observation of the evidence led him to discount the theory of foul air.
[..]
Snow later used a dot map to illustrate the cluster of cholera cases around the pump. He also used statistics to illustrate the connection between the quality of the water source and cholera cases. He showed that the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company was taking water from sewage-polluted sections of the Thames and delivering the water to homes, leading to an increased incidence of cholera. Snow's study was a major event in the history of public health and geography. It is regarded as the founding event of the science of epidemiology.
Snow wrote:

On proceeding to the spot, I found that nearly all the deaths had taken place within a short distance of the [Broad Street] pump. There were only ten deaths in houses situated decidedly nearer to another street-pump. In five of these cases the families of the deceased persons informed me that they always sent to the pump in Broad Street, as they preferred the water to that of the pumps which were nearer. In three other cases, the deceased were children who went to school near the pump in Broad Street... With regard to the deaths occurring in the locality belonging to the pump, there were 61 instances in which I was informed that the deceased persons used to drink the pump water from Broad Street, either constantly or occasionally...
The result of the inquiry, then, is, that there has been no particular outbreak or prevalence of cholera in this part of London except among the persons who were in the habit of drinking the water of the above-mentioned pump well.
I had an interview with the Board of Guardians of St James's parish, on the evening of the 7th inst [Sept 7], and represented the above circumstances to them. In consequence of what I said, the handle of the pump was removed on the following day.

—John Snow, letter to the editor of the Medical Times and Gazette

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Snow_(physician)




He followed the scientific method: do, observe, think, do.
Do - The precogntive 'hunch' based stage; 'Something's not quite right here.'
Observe - Use your sense organs to make observations of the environment over time, space and other elements.
Think - Make conclusions of the data based on the observations; i.e. find any patterns etc.
Do - Use the conclusions in a creative/proactive/constructive manner.

This method is (seemingly, to me at least) similar to one of the old Nordic Trinities, the Gods who gave man his various faculties:
'To the first human couple, Ask and Embla, Óðinn gave soul and life; Vili gave wit (intelligence) and sense of touch; and Vé gave countenance (appearance, facial expression), speech, hearing, and sight..' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vili_and_V%C3%A9).




Check out some of the other entries from the 'Men of Yore' series:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Henry Ford
George Custer



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Havamal Snippets 6: Common Sense Over Pride

It's Wednesday (Woden/Odin's Day) which means that it's time for another verse from the Havamal 'Sayings of the High One - Odin'. The poem full of wisdom, both everyday and ethereal. (The poem can be found in full HERE):

6. Of his understanding
no one should be proud,
but rather in conduct cautious.
When the prudent and taciturn
come to a dwelling,
harm seldom befalls the cautious;
for a firmer friend
no man ever gets
than great sagacity.

(Source: http://heathengods.com/havamal/thorpe.htm)

As Francis Parker Yockey pointed out, realism - seeing things as they are- is preferable to sunny optimism. Excess optimism may come from having an unjustifiable high opinion of oneself. Here is Yockey's relevant quote on Realism from his magnum opus, 'Imperium':

Between [optimism and pessimism] lies realism, which

wants to know what is, what must be done, how it can be done. Realism is
historical thinking, and it is also political thinking. Realism does not
approach the world with a preconceived principle to which things ought to
submit — it is this prime stupidity which begets both pessimism and
optimism. If it looks as though things will not fit, so to declare is
pessimism. Optimism continues to pretend that they do, despite the entire
course of History, to the contrary. Of the two diseases, optimism is more
dangerous to the soul, for it is more blind. Pessimism, by not being afraid to
affirm the unpleasing, is at least capable of seeing, and may yield to a
flaring-up of healthy instincts. 

Source: Yockey FP, Imperium. [page 25; or page 49 of the pdf book which is available HERE]

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Havamal Snippets 5: Learn by Travelling

It's Wednesday (Woden/Odin's Day) which means that it's time for another verse from the Havamal 'Sayings of the High One - Odin'. The poem full of wisdom, both everyday and ethereal. (The poem can be found in full HERE):

5. Wit is needful
to him who travels far:

at home all is easy.

A laughing-stock is he

who nothing knows,

and with the instructed sits.

(Source: http://heathengods.com/havamal/thorpe.htm)

Learn, travel the world by your mind and by your feet. If you do, then you will grow knowledgable, and doing will become easy. If you don't then you will be considered foolish.


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Men of Yore 3: Ludwig van Beethoven

This is the second in a series of posts about men from history who have either achieved great things in one form or another by pushing boundaries: either in themselves or in society or science or exploration of some form.  Boundary pushing and growth is what men do, it's their nature: to grow and push outwards.  We, as men, are the frontiersmen/the vanguard, the first to discover/uncover new territory, in a metaphysical sense (i.e. including both material and the immaterial) that is later colonised and 'civilised' by the rest of humanity. 

It is also partly intended to show images, be they paintings, statues or photographs of the countenaces of men of yore.  Because, quite frankly, many men wear the countenances of women these days: smiling, smirking, cooing, rolling their eyes, looking smug etc.  It's a sign of the times, and by showing some images of men from the past, I hope to show some modern men why looking surly, frowning and giving hard-ball stares at people is something to do, something to practice.

Ludwig van Beethoven, 1804 (aged 34)

Ludwig van Beethoven (ⁱ/ˈlʊdvɪɡ væn ˈbeɪt.hoʊvən/; German: [ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːt.hoːfən] ( listen); baptized 17 December 1770^[1] – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He also composed other chamber music, choral works (including the celebrated Missa Solemnis), and songs.

Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father Johann van Beethoven and Christian Gottlob Neefe. During his first 22 years in Bonn, Beethoven intended to study with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and befriended Joseph Haydn. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and began studying with Haydn, quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He lived in Vienna until his death. During the late 18th century, his hearing began to deteriorate significantly, yet he continued to compose, conduct, and perform after becoming completely deaf.
[..]
Beethoven's personal life was troubled by his encroaching deafness and irritability brought on by chronic abdominal pain (beginning in his twenties) which led him to contemplate suicide (documented in his Heiligenstadt Testament). Beethoven was often irascible. It has been suggested he suffered from bipolar disorder.^[86] Nevertheless, he had a close and devoted circle of friends all his life, thought to have been attracted by his strength of personality. Toward the end of his life, Beethoven's friends competed in their efforts to help him cope with his incapacities.^[87]

Sources show Beethoven's disdain for authority, and for social rank. He stopped performing at the piano if the audience chatted amongst themselves, or afforded him less than their full attention. At soirées, he refused to perform if suddenly called upon to do so. Eventually, after many confrontations, the Archduke Rudolph decreed that the usual rules of court etiquette did not apply to Beethoven.^[87]

^{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven [retrieved 18/11/2012]}


Check out some of the other entries from the 'Men of Yore' series:

Henry Ford
George Custer


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Havamal Snippets 4: Physiological and Psychological Needs

It's Wednesday (Woden/Odin's Day) which means that it's time for another verse from the Havamal 'Sayings of the High One - Odin'. The poem full of wisdom, both everyday and ethereal. (The poem can be found in full HERE):

4. Water to him is needful

who for refection comes,

a towel and hospitable invitation,

a good reception;

if he can get it,

discourse and answer.

(Source: http://heathengods.com/havamal/thorpe.htm)

Learn to understand and recognise the needs of your kinsmen. This means recognising facial expressiosns, body lanuguage, inflection in their voice, and then doing your best to help them through any stressful period.


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Havamal Snippets 3: Physiological Needs

It's Wednesday (Woden/Odin's Day) which means that it's time for another verse from the Havamal 'Sayings of the High One - Odin'. The poem full of wisdom, both everyday and ethereal. (The poem can be found in full HERE):

3. Fire is needful

to him who is come in,
and whose knees are frozen;
food and rainment
a man requires,
who o’er the fell has travelled.
(Source: http://heathengods.com/havamal/thorpe.htm)

Take care of the physiological/bodily needs of your kinsman.  Know where they have come from, and the kinds of toil they may have endured on the journey, be it mild or torrid.  A stressful car journey, delays on the train, and uncomfortable bus ride, or whatever.


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Men of Yore 2: Henry Ford

This is the second in a series of posts about men from history who have either achieved great things in one form or another by pushing boundaries: either in themselves or in society or science or exploration of some form.  Boundary pushing and growth is what men do, it's their nature: to grow and push outwards.  We, as men, are the frontiers men, the first to discover/uncover new territory, in a metaphysical sense (i.e. including both material and the immaterial) that is later colonised and 'civilised' by the rest of humanity. 

It is also partly intended to show images, be they paintings, statues or photographs of the countenaces of men of yore.  Because, quite frankly, many men wear the countenances of women these days: smiling, smirking, cooing, rolling their eyes, looking smug etc.  It's a sign of the times, and by showing some images of men from the past, I hope to show some modern men why looking surly, frowning and giving hard-ball stares at people is something to do, something to practice.

Here is the second entry, Henry Ford:

Henry Ford, 1888 (Aged 25)

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. Although Ford did not invent the automobile, he developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford to buy. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism": mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put dealerships throughout most of North America and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation but arranged for his family to control the company permanently.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_ford



Check out the other entry from the 'Men of Yore' series:
George Custer


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Havamal Snippets 2: Impatient Guests

It's Wednesday (Woden/Odin's Day) which means that it's time for another verse from the Havamal 'Sayings of the High One - Odin'. The poem full of wisdom, both everyday and ethereal. (The poem can be found in full HERE):

2. Greetings to the hosts,
a guest is come.
where must this one sit?
He is very impatient,
the one who must sit on the firewood,
to test his luck.  

(Source: http://heathengods.com/havamal/thorpe.htm)

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Havamal Snippets 1: Be Aware of Your Surroundings

It's Wednesday (Woden/Odin's Day) which means that it's time for another verse from the Havamal 'Sayings of the High One - Odin'. The poem full of wisdom, both everyday and ethereal. (The poem can be found in full HERE):

1. All door-ways,
before going forward,
should be looked to;
for difficult it is to know
where foes may sit
within a dwelling.

(Source: http://heathengods.com/havamal/thorpe.htm)

A common theme throughout the Havamal is to be aware of your surroundings because you do not know whether friend or foe may be lurking thererin.

 

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Men of Yore 1: George Custer

This is intended to be the first in a series of posts about men from history who have either achieved great things in one form or another by pushing boundaries: either in themselves or in society or science or exploration of some form.  Boundary pushing and growth is what men do, it's their nature: to grow and push outwards.  We, as men, are the frontiers men, the first to discover/uncover new territory, in a metaphysical sense (i.e. including both material and the immaterial) that is later colonised and 'civilised' by the rest of humanity. 

It is also partly intended to show images, be they paintings, statues or photographs of the countenaces of men of yore.  Because, quite frankly, many men wear the countenances of women these days: smiling, smirking, cooing, rolling their eyes, looking smug etc.  It's a sign of the times, and by showing some images of men from the past, I hope to show some modern men why looking surly, frowning and giving hard-ball stares at people is something to do, something to practice.

There will only be a small portion of text in each post, as it seems superfluous to copy and paste an entire encyclopedia entry.  If you wish to read the rest of the entry you can read by clicking on the relevant hyperlink.


Here is the first entry, George Custer:

George Armstrong Custer, 1865 (Aged 26)

George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class. However, with the outbreak of the Civil War, all potential officers were needed, and Custer was called to serve with the Union Army.
Custer developed a strong reputation during the Civil War. He fought in the first major engagement, the First Battle of Bull Run. His association with several important officers helped his career, as did his success as a highly effective cavalry commander. Custer was eventually promoted to the temporary rank (brevet) of major general. (At war's end, he reverted to his permanent rank of captain.) At the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, in which he and his troops played a decisive role, Custer was on hand at General Robert E. Lee's surrender.
After the Civil War, Custer was dispatched to the west to fight in the Indian Wars. His disastrous final battle overshadowed his prior achievements. Custer and all the men with him were killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, fighting against a coalition of Native American tribes in a battle that has come to be popularly known in American history as "Custer's Last Stand".


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Armstrong_Custer